Prep football: PAC 5 title at stake when Arroyo Grande, Atascadero meet

Here’s a look at this week’s high school football games involving San Luis Obispo County teams:

Tribune Sports Game of the Week: Atascadero at Arroyo Grande, 7 p.m.

Atascadero (5-3, 2-0 PAC 5) will have its first chance to show what it can do against a top PAC 5 team when the Greyhounds travel to Arroyo Grande (7-1, 2-0 PAC 5) on Friday night. The Greyhounds have the top passing combination in the area in quarterback Carson Rinkenberger and wide receiver Elijah Cooks, who have combined for 11 touchdowns this season. They will be a challenge for an Arroyo Grande team that has allowed 16 points per game this season. If Arroyo Grande wins, it pretty much locks up another undefeated PAC 5 title. If Atascadero wins, the Greyhounds will be in a tie for first with a crucial game against Paso Robles to end the regular season. Last season, when the two teams met in Atascadero, Arroyo Grande won 24-10.

Morro Bay at Nipomo, 7 p.m.

By crushing Mission Prep last Friday, Nipomo (4-4, 2-0 Northern) made an emphatic statement and became the front-runner for a Northern League title. But the Titans still have two games to go to close the deal. This week, they play host to a Morro Bay (4-4, 0-2 Northern) team that has lost its last four games. The Titans seem to be finding their grove in the running game behind a revamped offensive line and will welcome back top rusher Michael Jordan, who missed the past two games with a concussion.

Templeton at Mission Prep, 7 p.m.

After a 37-point loss to Nipomo, Mission Prep (4-4, 2-1 Northern) will be looking to rebound in a big way against Templeton (1-7, 0-2 Northern). The Eagles defense has struggled to stop teams all season and has given up an average of 41 points in the last six games, all losses. Expect quarterback Bryce Fledderman and company to get the offense rolling again and look more like it did against Morro Bay on Friday night.

Paso Robles at Righetti, 7 p.m.

Paso Robles (6-2, 1-1 PAC 5) has had a strange week after head coach Rich Schimke was placed on paid administrative leave following an undisclosed incident involving a student. Interim head coach, defensive coordinator Matt Carroll, is charged with keeping Paso Robles in the hunt for a league title. The Bearcats will look to avoid a trap game against Righetti (1-7, 1-2 PAC 5), but expect quarterback Steven Schouten and the Paso Robles offense to play with a chip on its shoulder.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Prep football: PAC 5 title at stake when Arroyo Grande, Atascadero meet."